


Janine Melnitz - Office Manager, Ghostbuster ... Babysitter?

by LuvBusters



Category: The Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Arguments, F/M, Friendship, Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24431485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: Janine blows a fuse after cleaning up behind the guys.
Relationships: Janine Melnitz/Egon Spengler
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	Janine Melnitz - Office Manager, Ghostbuster ... Babysitter?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [morganskye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/morganskye/gifts).



> Hope you like this - for you, Morgan

Janine was pulling into her parking space behind the firehouse. She was a bit early; she wanted to make sure she had enough time to stop by the bakery. She enjoys treating the guys from time to time with a box of fresh donuts, and today’s batch smelled absolutely heavenly.

As she approached the door, she could hear what sounded like yelling. She walked in to see the garage area in total disarray: Ecto-1 was jacked up with one tire missing and the hood up; Winston’s toolbox was sitting in the middle of the floor, several drawers left open; the lamp on Janine’s desk was lying on the floor with pieces of broken lightbulb scattered on the floor; the water cooler tank was turned over, water slowly leaking out onto the floor; and green slime covered EVERYTHING.

She saw Slimer flying quickly downstairs, with Peter close behind. “SLIMER! GET YOUR BOOGERY ASS UPSTAIRS BEFORE I BLAST YOU!” Slimer just babbled something incomprehensible and flew back up through the ceiling. Peter came to a skidding stop in front of Janine. 

To her credit, she just stood there, taking in deep breaths, her face blood red.

“Hey Red! I know what you’re gonna say. Let me assure you that we’ll get this mess cleaned up!” 

“Ah, save it Dr. V! You know as well as I do that I’ll be the one left to clean this up! Somebody will call, you guys will gear up, apologizing heavily on the way out, promising that you’ll make it up to me, which, of course, you won’t. And I’ll break my back getting this place clean - like always.”

She pushed past Peter and started upstairs with the donuts. Peter followed close behind.

“Is that fresh pastries I smell?”

“Yes, and maybe I should keep them all for myself!” She reconsidered and left the box on the kitchen table; Peter helped himself. 

“Thank you, Janine!” he said in a sing-song voice, mouth full of donut.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, waving her hand dismissively as she went back down the hall. 

She grabbed a mop and started cleaning up the spilled water. Winston’s footsteps could be heard as he came back up from the basement. 

“Morning Janine! Sorry, I had to find some tools to finish up my work on Ecto.”

“Morning Winston. What the hell happened?!”

He sighed. “Slimer decided he wanted to play early this morning. He started off with aggravating Peter to the point where a chase got going. Then Slimer thought they were playing tag. The chase started in the bunk room, led to the roof, then back down here. This is the result.” He waved his hands, gesturing to the mess around them. 

Janine frowned. “Well, it’s gonna take some time to get this mess cleaned up.”

“Let me get Ecto back together and I’ll give you a hand!”

“Thanks, Winston. Oh! There’s donuts in the kitchen. You’d better hurry if you want one!”

“Sounds great! Thanks!”

She gave him a warm smile as Winston ran upstairs. After finally getting the water mopped up, the water cooler sitting back upright and sweeping up the remains of her desk lamp, Janine took a moment to sit down at her desk. 

Suddenly, a crash was heard coming from the lab. Janine jumped up, startled. “EGON!” She screamed as she ran upstairs. 

The lab door was open, thick smoke pouring out. Ray and Egon both emerged, coughing and waving their hands to scatter the smoke. Peter and Winston joined them. 

“What happened?” Peter asked.

“Accident,” Egon said bluntly. 

“Yeah, no shit!” Janine exclaimed. “Are you two ok?!”

“We’re ok. Just a little spill is all,” Ray replied.

Egon gave him a quick glance before heading to the bathroom. 

“Exactly what happened?” Winston asked.

Ray smiled sheepishly. “I …. ahhh ….I knocked over a glass with my elbow.”

Janine put her hands on her hips. “A glass?”

“Yeah ….. I took a glass of orange juice in there.”

She rolled her eyes. “How many times have I told you guys not to do that?!”

“I know, I know,” 

Just then, the phone rang. Janine threw up her arms in frustration. “Great!” She ran back downstairs to answer the phone. 

Egon came out of the bathroom, using a wash cloth to clean the smudges off of his face. “I don’t believe any major harm was done, Raymond.”

“Tell that to Janine!” Peter teased. 

The alarm sounded. Egon made sure everything in the lab was turned off before joining the others downstairs to gear up. Ray took the information from Janine as Winston was starting up Ecto. 

“She sounds great, Zed! Good job with the tune up!” Peter shouted. Then he took a quick look around the garage area. “Nice clean up job, Janine!” 

She smiled back, already tired as the guys headed out.

********************  
By the time the guys returned, Janine had finished cleaning up the rest of the slime that had covered her desk and the filing cabinets. She was coming downstairs as the guys were exiting the vehicle. 

Everyone seemed mad: Winston slammed the door closed; Ray walked quickly down to the containment unit with three smoking traps; Egon and Peter were practically screaming at each other.

“Well, excuse ME, Dr. KNOW-IT-ALL! We can’t ALL be geniuses!” Peter shouted.

“Obviously NOT! That’s why I’M on the team!” Egon shot back, not quite as loudly.

Janine pulled Winston aside. “What’s that about?”

“Egon had the last ghost pinned down while I was getting the trap ready. Peter went all ‘Captain America’ and jumped in with his thrower. The streams overshot and almost hit Ray. The ghost got loose and it took us another hour to catch up with it again.”

Janine just gave a ‘hmmmm’ and nodded. 

Egon retreated to the lab while Peter headed to the bunk room to calm down. 

Ray came back upstairs, smiling at Winston and Janine. “Are they ok?”

“Are YOU?” Winston asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine! Just hate it when tensions get the best of us.”

“Give it a while; they’ll cool off,” Winston reassured him.

By mid afternoon, things between Peter and Egon were still tense. They were avoiding each other and snapping at everyone else. Egon was on his way to the basement to get some tools when Peter collided with him. He was too busy looking at a magazine as he was walking.

“HEY! WATCH IT!” Peter yelled.

“If you would watch where you’re going, that wouldn’t happen!” Egon said angrily. 

Janine slammed her hands down on her desk, standing abruptly. “I’ve had ENOUGH!” She marched over to where Egon and Peter were arguing. 

Winston and Ray had been cleaning out Ecto from the earlier call but stopped to watch the action. 

With Egon and Peter’s undivided attention, she began her scolding. “We’ve ALL had enough of this shit! You two are grown ass MEN and BEST FRIENDS! What happened today was an accident! Yeah, it could’ve been bad but Ray’s ok. Live and learn! 

Dr. V - no more show dogging out there! You guys are a TEAM! Act like it!

Egon - you have better things to do than nitpick over things that are over and done with! Clean the damn lab, for starters!

You two make up and get along! I swear, I feel like I’m working at a freakin’ DAYCARE!” She turned and stomped (tiredly) back to her desk. 

Egon and Peter looked at each other, smiling awkwardly. Peter was the first to extend his hand. “I’m sorry, Spengs. I won’t do stupid shit like that again.”

Egon smiled, shaking hands with Peter. “I’m sorry too. I was just stressed about Ray almost getting hurt.”

The two were friends again. Winston and Ray smiled and resumed cleaning out the vehicle.

Janine shut down her computer and stood to leave. 

“And where are you going, Ms. Melnitz?” Peter teased. 

“Me?! I’m LEAVING! From the minute I got here this morning, I’ve been cleaning up after you guys! I’m tired and I’m going home!” She gave Peter a wicked grin.

“I’ve got a better idea!” Winston said. “How about we get cleaned up and take our wonderful office manager out to a nice dinner? In appreciation for everything!”

“Yeah! Sounds like a GREAT idea!” Ray agreed.

“And we’ll also celebrate the fact that our dear Ray wasn’t hurt by my stupidity!” Peter added. 

The men agreed, looking at Janine. 

“Sure! I’m not gonna turn that down! As long as I can get a drink?”

“Absolutely! Get tipsy and dance on the table! Give us all a show!” Peter said, wiggling his eyebrows at Egon, who blushed profusely.

Janine giggled as the guys rushed upstairs to change. “It might feel like a daycare, but they’re the cutest and sweetest boys to take care of!” she thought to herself.


End file.
